To the average person, it is hard to truly understand what $2.4 trillion or $456 billion means when it comes to the cost of war. Sometimes its easier to break it down on an individual level. To really feel it, many people have lost loved ones and friends to the war, with almost 4,000 now dead because of a pointless occupation of Iraq. For the rest of us, we can break it down into dollars and cents.
From The Gotham Gazette:
So how does the cost of the Iraq War break down across the city? According to a new analysis by the National Priorities Project, a nonprofit research group that analyses federal budget data, the city covers more than a third of the war’s entire cost to the state and about 3 percent of its cost to the country.
The data breaks down the local bill through fiscal year 2007. Interestingly, the war has brought the largest tab to Queens, which outspent the rest of the boroughs by nearly $1 billion.
The group also looks at the proposed war costs for fiscal year 2008 and how that is dispersed locally.
Here is the breakdown borough by borough for fiscal year ‘07:
Bronx: $1,828,300,000
Brooklyn: $3,936,500,000
Manhattan: $3,592,200,000
Queens: $4,701,200,000
Staten Island: $1,213,500,000
New York City total: $15,237,500,000
New York State total: $40,915,800,000
The U.S. total is about $456 billion.
Queens is the biggest borough population-wise, so naturally they would have the largest cost. Whatever the cost, it is far too much for Bush's biggest folly, and our national tragedy.
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